Church of the Multiplication

The Church of Multiplications located in Tabgha by the Sea of Galilee, is an exact replica of the 4th century basilica built to commemorate the miracle of feeding five thousand described by Mark 6:30-44, prior to Jesus walking on water on the Sea of Galilee.

One of the main highlights of the church is the 5th century mosaic on the floor featuring a basket of bred being flanked by two fishes – The mosaic is the earliest known samples of figured pavement in Christian art in the Holy Land. The mosaics in the two transepts depict various birds and plants, with a main focus given to the lotus flower. This flower, which is not indigenous to the Galilee, suggests the artist’s use of a Nilotic landscape popular in Roman and early-Byzantine art. All the other motifs depict flora and species from the Galilee.

The church was build around a black rock underneath the church altar, which is said by generation after generations of Galilee locals, where Jesus blessed and broke bread, and where today is a popular holy land destination for Christians traveling to Israel.

15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.